Amber in the Sunset
by Syris Bries
Summary: Connor is withdrawn. The time he doesn't spend day dreaming in class, he uses to observe his fellow classmates as they struggle through modern day, high school trials. His high school days are used amounting to nothing and trying for nothing. That changes when a new girl shows up and shows Connor that there is more out there than his own world.
1. Chapter 1

Life is simple. Things come and go, but nothing really changes. I am nothing more than observer floating on the tides of societal changes. I have dedicated my short years as a high schooler examining behavior in its natural habitat. Basically, I watch how 'normal' students live their lives.

I am no different then a shadow, an audience member. This seclusion along with an active imagination, let's just say that I live in a alternate reality to that of my peers. This is how the events of my ordinary life unfold. Let me start at the beginning.

I am a 16 year old sophomore at Orville High School. The school is not anything special. Just a watering hole for all the different animals to interact with each other before they mature.

I'm talking about the students.

I don't mean to insult my peers. In fact I rather enjoy them. I find the way they interact with each other wonderful for observation. All the guys run around, loud, goofing off, trying to draw all the attention on them, while all the girls are talking about new gossip, plans for the weekend, or buzzing around the queen bee; Sally Reyes.

Sally Reyes. Even her name means princess. She is noted for being incredibly hot, super rich, and a ventriloquist because she's got a hand up everyone's butt telling them what to say. She's like the blonde from 'Mean Girls.' Basically the exact same person. The only difference is that I don't think Sally will get hit by a bus.

Up next on the Orville totem pole is Jake Williams. Just what you'd expect from the number 2. He is a star athlete, ruggedly good looks, nice to everyone, and dating the number 1. Did I not mention that? That's right. Mr. Perfect is in a perfect relationship with Ms. Perfect.

Everyone else in 10th grade falls under their rule. It's just like a good old fashioned aristocracy. Beneath the royalty is all the nobles that plague the cheerleading squad and sports teams. Those close to the the nobles are the nerds, for the upper class need tutors no? Little bit farther down class hierarchy is the Yi-Gi-Oh players, the eat-their-feelings, dropouts, and the leftovers. Then finally, some where lost between the eat-their-feelings and the dropouts is me.

How to describe to me. There really isn't much to me. My disheveled, dark hair stays that way year round. My teachers say I have a constant glaze over the dullest eyes you have ever witnessed. What I call fair skin most would call 'in need of sunlight.' My build? I think my least favorite Aunt Cheri describe it as, "a string bean." In addition to lack of physique, I spend most of my time alone, not because I have to, but because I enjoy it. I am not a loner. I do have friends. It's just, I enjoy spending time on my own.

Like I said, I am observer so I'd rather spend my time gathering more intel on human behavior than half-attempting relationships that won't last for more than 4 years at best.

That is how I am. I spend the majority of class just daydreaming about using the Force to blow holes in the building or drawing whatever pops into my brain. The rest of my time is occupied by sleep.

This is how I spend my days. Its not much but its what I enjoy doing. No one bothers me, and I bother no one. This is how I have chosen to spend my time at Orville. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to spend my time like the other students, actually trying to fit in. But I was watch the struggle to climb up in rank, I realize that I am quite happy in my gray area of degradation and isolation.

There was a time where I genuinely enjoyed school. I had hopes and dreams. All of those were crushed not longer after I joined this school. Wishful thinking is not appreciated in an environment where only those bred for success can achieve. It didn't take long for me to fall into place and vanish.

By the time I reached my sophomore year, I had given all hope of me wanting anything out of this dreary life. It wasn't until a flow of chestnut walked through a door during our homeroom class, that I started wanting more out of high school.

At least, that's what I thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The fated transfer student**

These spoken for doubts in my contentment began on a typical Tuesday morning. It was 1st period and I was counting down the minutes before the class was about to start.

The professor walked in with his usual cup of coffee and a pause before he started his coughing fit to begin the lesson. Everything was as it should be. "Hello class, I would like to introduce a new student."

A girl walked in as he said, "her name is Alexis Scantor and she'll be joining your class."

The new girl was small, thin, I guess one could objectively call her cute. She had chestnut brown hair that fell to her elbows and these amber eyes that lit up the room. There was this subtle intensity beneath what appeared to be a simple girl based off her taste in clothes. She seemed timid, I mean who wouldn't be when standing in front of a group of total strangers? "H-Hi. It's nice to meet all of you."

She put on a small smile and was directed to the seat right next to me.

Now I have seen enough anime to know how this little scenario will play out. A cute girl, no less a transfer student, shows up and is seated next to me, the social outcast. In a month or two, we will be best friends and then one day she will confess her love for me on the roof of the school while birds are flying in the distance.

The dramatic music will increase and when we finally begin to kiss as the credits roll up and nobody sees anything. Outraged, the fans begin writing a million fan-fictions about what really happened.

Yeah, I don't think so.

That's not how reality plays out.

Lost in my own fantasies, she turns to me and asked, "can I share with you? I don't have any of my stuff today."

I stared at her, no looked at her as the first girl in months talked to me. "Uh, yeah," I stammered, "this is where we are going to start."

I could feel the giggles of some of the girls dance at the back of my neck while the guys burnt holes in my head. I couldn't tell if I was lucky or not. Here I was sitting next to this beautiful girl, who had no idea what social class I was in. No! I couldn't let my fantasies take over my thoughts.

There was nothing going to happen between us.

There never will.

So for that day, I settled for sharing a textbook with a girl who wouldn't want to talk to me after that.

The bell rang. Class was over.

I sighed, grabbed my things and as I was walking out the door, Alexis grabbed the end of my hand. "E-Excuse me, but what is your name?"

"It's Connor," I replied. "Connor Hartfeld."

I slowly pulled my hand out of hers and continued walking out the door. I could still feel the warmth of where her fingers touched mine.

Why was I still thinking about this?

It's not like it mattered anyways. She'll be swept up in the popularity crowd soon enough. I kept telling myself this as I merged with the shadows, content with my own thoughts once again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: That Girl**

It had been a while since Alexis joined my class. As predicted, it didn't take long for her to be inducted to the top of the food chain. She still sat by me in class, being polite and asking questions, but when the bell rang it was back to high class living for her.

She was happy with them, I was happy to be left alone once again; or at least I thought. The more classes we had together, the faster time flew. I found myself responding to her questions about what page we were on or if the homework was due that day with more eagerness. In fact, I sort of looked forward to it.

She always forgot something, like the one day she forgot to bring her notes from the last class, or even yesterday when she forgot to bring lunch. There was no need to worry however, Jake was on the case. It took less than a minute for him to buy her lunch.

He's been getting a lot closer to Alexis. I think the princess has noticed this as well. You can almost hear Sally's teeth grind together whenever he rushes to her side. It is like he's almost too eager to be next to her.

But it's not like I care.

Not long after that, the student council announced its destination for our sophomore field trip. One of those 4 days and 3 night stays type of deal. They had been polling for possible places for the last month or so and decided on a long weekend up in the mountains. A camping trip with the entire 10th grade.

Sounded like fun, right?

Spending the entire day running up an down a mountain, fighting all sorts of insects, eating who knows what, and most importantly making new friends. I think if I had a group of friends I liked being around then I would enjoy it more.

I think I might just call in sick.

Aside from my grim outlook of the trip, most were excited it for it. I heard some of the guys talking about their great exploits in the wilderness while the girls described how their older sisters would sneak off with their boyfriends and enjoy a night under the moon.

Give me a break.

I needed an escape from that suffocating atmosphere. I was saved by the professor who asked everyone to settle down and get ready for class. I opened my notebook and began designing by plans on avoiding the trip when a soft voice interrupted me.

"Hey Connor," Alexis whispered.

"Are you excited about the trip?"

"I wasn't really planning on going," I said trying to focus back on my drawings.

"Why don't you won't to come?"

"It's not something I really enjoy. I prefer to be on my own. Besides, I'm not really big into the outdoors."

"Oh…"

Her disappointed tone brought more guilt than one can imagine. I turned towards her and my tongue nearly fell at of my mouth.

Her typical pony tail had been put into a messy bun, with a few stray strands gently falling down the side of her cheek. Since it had been hotter of late, she was in a loose fitting, long sleeve with a V-cut that stopped just short of the end of a simple pendant she always wore. One side hung on the edge of her shoulder where you could see the straps of her tank top underneath.

She looked great. More so than she usually did. It was like those scene on T.V where the girl says, "does this look good?" and the guy is left speechless.

I felt my palms get sweaty and my heart beat rise. The sun seemed to turn her amber eyes golden. Was this some kind of witchcraft? Is this that weakness that guys have for women that I had heard about? I couldn't say no to her. In that moment, all I could think about was making her happy.

"I guess it wouldn't kill me to go," I whispered only realizing later what I committed myself to.

Now I had to go. She was counting on me. Watching her lips curl into a breathtaking smile, there was no turning back. I had given into her womanly ways, and now had to go or else disappoint her.

But why did it matter?

So what if she was disappointed in me?

Lots of people thought I was a disappointment. My parents had all but given up on me applying myself, my younger siblings had surpassed me in accomplishments, and my teachers have grown tired of not showing a bit of interest in their classes.

So what made this girl special?

I didn't like her, that much was clear. But I didn't dislike her either. I have to say though, watching her smile at the thought of me being on the trip with her, gave me a weird feeling in my stomach. That twinkle in her eye as she turned her head back to the board.

"Maybe this trip won't be the worst after all."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: The Bus Ride**

We had finally reached the day of the trip. Students piled up in front of the buses while teachers tried to maintain order over the excitement coming from the group.

I could see Jake at the entrance to first bus, using his merry band of men, to get students to place suitcases in a pile and go to their designated vehicles. Just what you'd expect from the poster child of perfection. It wasn't too long after that they we were all seated and the roar of the engines told us that we were on our way.

As we began to move, friends began conversations, sleeping the trip away, or playing on their phones. Each bus was made up of the different classes that made up my 10th grade.

My bus was filled with Jake and his entourage. That included but was not limited to Jake, his lady lover, the athletes that they hung around, and of course the fan clubs that hung around them. Each student sat according to their status starting with Jake and Sally at the back.

It was like riding on a plane, except first class was at the back with the fan clubs and wanna-be's in business class.

I was stuck with coach.

Sitting in the front gave me three choices; either talk with the teacher, sleep or try social interactions with my seat mate.

I should have slept.

The class mate next to me was a guy by the name of Alfred Sneedman. I think his name implies everything about him. While I was the lone wolf of the class, he was the class whatever.

Alfred was a short kid with heavy set, glasses that matched his physique. He had beady eyes, and short, curly red hair that sat at the top of his head. Think Carl Weezer from 'Jimmy Neutron' but instead of complaining about his Scampula, it was about how Han Solo shot first.

He had no clique to fit in with, no social skills, and most importantly he loved to share his hobbies to whoever would listen.

Not many heard his stories.

I was indifferent towards him. Some of the things he said were actually interesting. Apparently he spent the last four years of his life classifying the different boogers that were salvaged from his nose. He offered to examine my nostrils but I had to refuse.

However, there was one trait that I couldn't look past. He struggled with overexcitement to the point where he found it difficult to keep his aromatics to himself. The more he talked, the more excited he became. Putting it lightly, after ten minutes of his stories, he had me and the driver at tears. By twenty minutes, we were gasping for air.

The only consolation was that Alexis was on my bus. She sat at the back with all the equally attractive people, so every time I stuck my head into the aisle for a gulp of clean oxygen I could see her laughing and having fun.

Some times she would see me looking and smile or wave back and I would return the gesture with a half-smirk. Taking a deep breath I'd return to Alfred's eight part series on the apparel of female characters for online video games.

Some of the other girls noticed my glances at Alexis and began prying into the situation.

"Alexis, do you know him?"

My ears perked up at this question.

"Yeah, I sit next to him in class."

I strained to hear their conversation over the others that had for some reason become louder all of the sudden. In addition to everyone else's commotion, one of the basketball stars had even brought out his speakers.

"Are you two close or something?"

"I guess you could say that. Connor helps me with the class work sometimes."

They gasped, "You actually know his name?"

"I asked him it. Don't you talk to him?"

They all shook their heads. "Of course not. He is one of those weirdos. He's always talking to himself and smiling at nothing. That guy is just creepy."

Journey had just reached its chorus in 'Don't Stop Believing' when Alexis interjected.

"Now that's not fair. Sure, he's a little strange but just because he keeps to himself doesn't make him creepy."

Alexis had committed blasphemy just now; she stood up for an outcast. Some of the girls at the back were speechless. This intolerable act did not go unnoticed by the Queen of Orville High. Sally pulled Alexis close to her and began to whisper in her ear.

It was so quiet that I had to strain my neck into the aisle just to pick out a few words. Unfortunately, I leaned too far and as the bus took a sharp turn I tumbled into the aisle. The awkward silence that came after that was indescribable.

All eyes were on me for the first time since I had been at that school. The weight of all those stares was almost unbearable. The speakers had been turned off. All you could hear was the quiet puttering of the bus as it kept rolling up the mountain.

Alexis' face was bright red as she dropped her gaze to the floor. Sally resembled a viper that had just finished off its prey; with a smile brimming with malcontent. Everyone could tell that I tried to listen in.

It was obvious.

I jumped back into my chair and prayed that it was all just a bad dream. The teacher at the front just shook his head and looked at me with pity.

Why had I been so curious?

Why did I care?

These were thoughts that kept running through my head as the awkwardness slowly lifted and the white noise returned.

The ride continued for another two hours or so. In that time an entire album of Journey was played, Alfred was moved to the very front of the bus for health code violations, and Alexis never looked in my direction again.

I don't know what Sally told her but she was probably right. I am an outcast and I shouldn't try to interact with Alexis. I spent the rest of the ride throwing numerous pity parties as I watched the landscape blur past my window.

After what seemed like forever, the busses finally grounded to a halt. All the students hurriedly shuffled off the bus, and began to grab their luggage. I waited until Alexis was near the entrance before standing up to exit. I'm not sure why, but I felt like I had to talk to her.

She walked past me without so much as glance before exiting the bus, grabbing her luggage and walking towards the cabins.

That's how my camping trip started off.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Midnight Flight**

The first day of the field trip was miserable. It started with our student council representative spending what felt like an hour on the do's and don'ts of the trip.

"Don't be out past curfew. Don't eat the wild plant life."

She continued in this manner about various things. What our schedule consisted of, not to play with the animals, and where the cafeteria was located.

"Are you ready to have fun?" she said.

She was satisfied with the overly enthusiastic yells and screams that followed. Clearly we have not evolved as far as we thought. Simple hoots and hollers equates to praises that stroke our egos.

Aside from the dull introduction, the camp itself was quite spectacular. The main house where the administrative personnel as well as the cafeteria were located at the entrance where we arrived surrounded by a dense forest. According to a staff worker, the cabins themselves were further back in a sort of U shape but not to far down the path. Finally there was the lake. The lake was like a small sea where the water seemed to go forever.

I spent the majority of the first day laying on the shore listening to the water race along the sand. The rustling of the trees blended with the whistling of the birds to form a symphony of serenity. No distractions. No interruptions. Had I been the same guy that I used to be, I'm sure that I would have enjoyed those hours.

For whatever reason I couldn't find peace. No I knew the problem.

Alexis.

I never felt ashamed of who I was. I didn't care about what others thought about me. I was an outsider, an observer looking in and that was fine with me.

Until now.

For the first time someone on the inside had seen me and made me wish for something different. A lifestyle in which I take an active part in the flow of society. Strange enough, there was a part of me that wished for that too.

What was this feeling? Alexis continued to flood my head for most of the afternoon. That look of embarrassment the she had was burned into my memory.

Why did it end up like this? I'm not sure if I would call us friends, but things were good between us.

The fact that I couldn't call us friends brought on a whole new rush of sadness. Nothing good had become of this trip. It was a mistake to ever interact with her. I should have never opened up to her. My quiet life, lost in my imagination, was simple and easy.

She introduced confusion and frustration to my little world. She was the one at fault not me. I can't help being voted 'most likely to be a loser' three years running, but she could have left me be.

Anger rose up in my throat. It was a bitter taste and ill-suited for my typically indifferent attitude towards life.

I was going to put her out of my mind and that was that. No more Scantor, no more problems.

I looked back as I heard the whistles of teachers signaling that the afternoon activities were about to begin. As the sun began to drop beneath the tops of the trees, I trudged back through the forest heading towards a large crowd gathering around the student council rep.

The crowd was brimming with anticipation. Apparently, it was a tradition that the first night of the sophomore trip was kicked off with an event called 'Midnight Flight.' This game consisted of pairs, one guy and one girl, in a massive 'fun-filled' game

Each pair was tied at the wrist, so it required teamwork to win. The bound couples would run around the woods searching for other flag groups and remove their flag of some kind.

I think that explains why they were handing out colored strips of cloth earlier.

Once a group had been eliminated, they returned to the bon fire at the heart of the campus. The last group standing had the extra challenge of trying to return to the camp without being captured by the now eliminated players from the opposing teams.

It was complicated capture-the-flag.

Needless to say, it seemed like a lot more work than fun. I hoped to be paired with Alfred on the sole basis that his diabolical farts would either eliminate us or the competition quickly.

The Student Council began to list off the partners. The students were done by which bus each person came off of.

"Sam Blake. Sally Reyes. You're on yellow team."

I felt sorry for whoever would meet them in the dead of night. Blake was known for his enthusiasm and competitive behavior. Sally was known for being Satan's niece.

"Jake Williams. Aisha Franks. You're on green team."

This tedious process went on and on over the next couple of minutes. I stood there at the back of the crowd hoping that I wouldn't be paired with…

"Connor Hartfeld. Alexis Scantor. Green team"

You had to be kidding me. The universe was clearly against me. It was the one person that I simply did not want to be around and she was the one that I'd be tied with for the next several hours.

I looked across the crowd. It was easy to find a girl who clearly didn't want to be my partner. That was every girl. Alexis had been standing near Sally's posse prior to the announcement that she was my partner.

She scanned the crowd until her eyes met mine and what I saw was the same look every girl had when they got stuck with me. The difference that time was that it came from her. Something about her downcast fast on my behalf brought me to the point of sickness.

What was going on with me?

With confusion swirling amongst my very active imagination, I walked towards Alexis.

"So I guess you're my partner, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess I am." Her distant tone reminded that once again, I was on my own. She begrudgingly walked away from the snickers directed towards me and to the front where those in charge were binding students together.

Alexis made no eye contact as her slender wrist was gently pulled towards mine.

The thick rope used was like the horse hair ones used in the old west. It was large and dug into your skin.

After we were bound together we were shown where the starting line and told to wait. I looked at her but her eyes wouldn't meet mine.

"What did I do wrong?"

She huffed as she said, "I don't appreciate being used."

Dumbfounded doesn't quite describe what I felt at that moment. I was officially at a loss for words the first time in my life. My brain worked overtime to make sense of the situation. My thoughts were interrupted by a the scream of a bull horn.

Sophomores dashed off into the all consuming darkness of the forest and like wise, Alexis tore off into the woods dragging me in tow.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Traps and Getting Trapped**

The woods were a nightmare to navigate. Low branches and roots took every opportunity to take pieces of me. What little left of the sunset there was, became dwarfed but the the thick line of trees that circled me an my partner. For some reason, she wasn't bothered by these obstacles. Alexis plowed ahead at ridiculous speeds while I did everything in my power to not pass out.

It was so eerily quiet. The only sounds were our shoes on the ground and my wheezing for dear life. After what seemed like forever, Alexis began to slow down.

"Why are we slowing down?"

"SHHH!" she hissed back angrily. "Do you want to give us away? There is a group nearby."

Alexis began to crouch behind the trunk of the world's thickest tree.

"Where?"

She sighed and pointed to some flickering lights off in the distance. I squinted and finally was able to make out what looked like a group of 6 people waving flashlights around. One of the members let out a high pitched giggle and I knew right away who that was: Jordan Bennington. Jordan was Sally's right hand woman and overall pain. Her signature move was a giggle that cracked windows as she tortured innocent souls in the name of the Queen.

Sure enough, one of the pairs left the group and started walking in the direction of the camp. Another kill for Jordan. That meant that either Sally was nearby or she was the other pair.

"What do you want to do?"

"Take them out. We'll jumped them from behind and take their flags."

The determination and energy in her voice was something I had never witnessed before. She was so focused. Her eyes looked like wild fires from the light flickering in the distance.

She turned to me and said, "Can you handle this?"

"Of course. What do you take me for?"

I tried to put in as much bravado as I could muster. Alexis merely huffed and turned in their direction.

"Alright. Let's go."

We started to creep towards the lights. The crunching leaving below us did not help. The closer we got to the groups, the farther it seemed to be. My hand was beginning to sweat. The sound of my own heartbeat was bursting through my ears. This was so exhilarating and frightening at the same time.

It's just game, right?

No. In this moment, I felt like a predator about to pounce on its prey. The adrenalin, the stillness. It was a new sensation. My vision went red. I finally understood what the thrill of the hunt was.

Wait, what?

I think I got a little carried away. By the time I had realized that, I had already crawled over the log we were hiding and launched myself right into the fray. Or at least what I thought the fray should be. I was standing in the middle of a circle comprised of flashlights. It was the equivalent of standing in the spotlight. Assuming that the spotlight was because you made a complete out of yourself.

To make matters worse, during my primal stage, I forgot that Alexis was tied to my wrist. In my leap, I had incidentally pulled her across the forest floor and now she was covered in dirt, leaves, and cuts.

Her face was fuming.

I extended my hand to help her up but she slapped it away. I had burned the last bridge that I still had. My heart sank at this realization. There was no hope for us every getting along again. Playing Tarzan had cost me. Just when I thought things could not get any worse, I hear a high pitch giggle.

"What do we have here"

A blinding flash comes from our left.

"You two made this easy."

Another flash from the right. My eyes were still trying to adjust to what I believed to be cameras. They were taking pictures of us. Me, making a fool out of myself. Alexis, looking about as pathetic as can be.

"We heard a loser yelling into the night. We knew that if we set up a trap that you would fall right into it. But we had no idea that you would make it this easy! Do you have any idea how you ridiculous you sounded jumping in here screaming?"

I could feel a glare that I did not want to meet coming from Alexis' direction. I was so confused about what was going on that I only managed to squeak out one word.

"We?"

"Yes, Jordan and I decided that we would have a little fun. Publicly humiliating you was such a delight."

Another flash. Sally was taking pictures of us. Probably to spread around the school and ruining the reputation of Alexis while reinforcing mine. Alexis finally got onto her feet. I could feel that was she shaking. Had my corneas not been burned by the camera flashes, I would have probably seen that her eyes were tearing up.

That was it. Picking on me was fine. I was the quintessential waste of space, but putting Alexis through that? Not going to happen.

Where was all this machismo coming from?

"What's your deal? Why do you only have fun at the expense of others.?

"So, the little reject finally has something to say. I am saying what needs to be said. You are at the bottom of the food chain. You always will be. There will never be a time when you can get close to our level. Or have you forgotten what I told you?"

My spine stiffened. My mind was screaming to move but my body didn't listen. I stood there frozen, trapped between a vicious high schooler and a crushing realization that the humiliation was just getting started.

The flashlights continued shining.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Times gone by**

It all began two years ago when I made the mistake.

This all happened in my freshmen year. I had recently moved to this school and was unaware of the way things worked. Namely, my social standing. I came to Orville High thinking that everybody would be nice and friendly. Call it middle school optimism.

Anyways, my first day of school was comprised of running around the school, books falling out of my bag, and everything else fumbling out of my hands.

I missed the bus.

I should have known that life was not my ally when some of the upperclassmen stuck out their legs to trip me on my way to my third period history class.

"Oooff!"

I landed face first into the concrete hallways. I could hear snickering around me as my face went an alarming shade of red. I scrambled to pick up my things when I hear a voice behind me.

"Do you need some help?"

I turned to see that face of an angel. That's right. I thought she was one of the most beautiful girls I had ever met. All I knew about this girl was that she spoke to the freshmen class during our orientation meeting that morning and that she was stunning.

"Yeah. Thanks."

She smiled and started picking my textbooks up.

We said nothing to each other as we assembled the scattered papers and pencils. It wasn't until we both reached for the same copy of World History did she say,

"You are taking World History too? What teacher?"

I shifted through all my papers until I located my class schedule.

"It says M. Schuller. Do you know her?"

"That's the same as my mine. So we are going to be in the same class together! I hear she is a wicked grader. Maybe we could study together some time."

My heart skipped a beat. This incredibly cute girl was talking to me.

'She might want to come over,' I thought to myself. 'Maybe we will start dating. Should I plan the wedding now or wait till we have dated for awhile?'

My delusions continued for a minute or two until I was interrupted by a sweet voice.

"Well, I am going to head to class now."

I jumped right out of my fantasies.

"Ok! Can I ask what your name is?"

But as I ask, the bell rang and an influx of students shuffled through the door. I lost sight of the girl as she disappeared back into regular school life.

After that moment, my life was pretty normal. I went to class, I did my work, I even tried making friends. The first friend I made was a kid named Alfred. I had no idea at the time what a mistake that was. Any hope of becoming remotely popular vanished as soon as we swapped names.

I still kept looking for that girl. She said we had the same class but there were two classes with the same teacher. I suspect that she was in the other. Everyday, I would try to get to class early and wait by the entrance in hopes of seeing a glimpse of her.

Days turned into weeks.

I had all but given up on ever knowing her name when fate showed some good faith in me. I was talking to Alfred in the hallways, discussing the differences between Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, when I saw her. The girl from the first day was talking to a group of friends. Her blonde flowing hair waved back and forth, as if greeting the hallway. Her white blouse and skirt emulated control and beauty; a deadly combination.

I could feel my jaw rubbing floor as she started to walk past me. Seeing her go by snapped me out of my daze.

"Uh…," mouth refused to cooperate with my brain. I couldn't even make an intelligible word. Even so, the girl heard my uttering and turned.

"Do I know you?"

'She didn't remember me?' I though to myself.

"I was that freshmen you helped on the first day of school. Connor Hartford?"

"Hmm…Oh yes. I remember you. You spilled all your stuff over the floor, right?"

"Yes!"

Not exactly what I wanted to be remembered for, but it was a of her friends began to whisper behind her back. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but my guess is that it was about my 'rolled out of bed appearance.'

The girl glared back at her peers and then turned to me. Her smile was so warm. I felt my body slowly melt at her feet.

"It's nice to see you again. Glad to see that you're not dropping your stuff anymore."

"Heh, yeah."

I tried to smile but face didn't know how to move that way. Judging by the repulsive expressions of the girls behind her, I must have looked awful.

The girl started giggling.

"You're funny. What's your name?"

"Connor."

"Well Connor, it is a pleasure meeting you. My name is Sally Reyes."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The Potential of Underdogs**

A final flash of light broke the spell I was on. I was back in the woods. Alexis was still bleeding from her knee. Sally was grinning over us.

I hate my life.

I had no idea how long I had been standing there. Judging by my opponents reaction, I had been standing like an idiot for only a couple of minutes.

"She said, 'do you remember?'"

A swine-like voice squealed at me. Must have been Jordan. My eyes were still struggling to adjust, though it's hard to confuse that voice. Jordan must have been basking in this. I know Sally was.

I felt a slight tug on my left wrist and looked down to see that Alexis was still on the ground. There was blood trickling out of her knees where she fell down. Her eyes were red and glassy.

She was crying.

My heart sank. Seeing her pitifully kneeling in defeat before Sally was almost to much to bare. I felt anger boil up to my throat. My fists began to clench.

"Hey Sally, maybe we should just get back to the game."

It was the first thing that Sam said. I had completely forgotten that there were more people then just Sally and Jordan. That knowledge only made this worse.

I had to show up Sally.

Sally could ruin whatever was left of my reputation, but I would not let her harm Alexis in anyway. I did not have time to ponder that thought, because I had job to do right then. When my eyes had finally adjusted to the continual flashes, I had noticed that Sally and Sam's flag was wrapped loosely around Sally's free wrist.

I had to get it.

I crouched down and helped Alexis up to her feet. Her eyes met mine and I tried, will all my might, to telepathically tell her what I was about to do. She clearly was confused as her head tilted and her eyebrows formed a confused expression.

"Trust me," I whispered as we both stood up.

Alexis' perplexed face changed as soon as she caught a glimpse of the colored cloth. I turned to face Sally.

"I remember."

I grabbed Alexis' slender hand and charged straight at Sally. Sally's grin fell immediately as she watched a maniac charge straight for her. She stumbled backwards and her free arm waved freely in the air.

This was my chance.

I wrapped my fingers around the loose end of the flag and tugged with all my might. It gave away almost immediately. Sally fell backwards onto Sam sending them both into the mud. Jordan reached for us but her partner went to help Sally, and pulled her down with him.

"AHHHHHH," Sally screamed tried helplessly in the mud. But I didn't check to see how she was. I had to get back to camp before she could get a hold of us.

With Alexis in tow, I did not stop running; my sights were centered on the light in the distance which I knew was the campfire. We kept running through the forest, the feral cries of Sally nipping at our ears. Just when the camp started coming into view, I hear an "Oof," followed by arm gaining at least 100 pounds.

The dead weight pulled me head first into the trunk of the largest pine tree I had ever seen.

"What happened?"

I put my hand to my head to try to ease the ringing, as I looked around.

"I…I'm sorry. It's my knees."

I followed the voice down my arm and across the bindings until I saw a silhouette of Alexis.

"What happened to them?"

"They are scraped, and I think maybe even bruised."

Alexis tried to stand but immediately collapsed from the pain.

"Don't try to stand up."

From the moonlight that broke through the tree tops I could see that they were in no shape for running the rest of the way.

Sally's rage was approaching us fast.

"I'm sorry. If I hadn't been an idiot, none of this would have happened."

Sigh…

"Well I guess this is it. Sally's going to catch up to us and then who knows what'll happen to us."

"You can't quit!" Alexis shouted. "You've got to finish this. Don't let her win"

"But I can't win without you!"

The silence that followed that sentence was beyond awkward.

"Er, I mean that we are tied together, so it's impossible to win without you."

I said it again.

I start to hear a soft giggling coming from the shadow in front of me.

"Well I guess you're right about that. It was fun though…I'm sorry for the way I've been acting since the bus ride. It's all Sally's fault."

"What did she say to you anyway?"

For some reason, I had to know the answer to this question. Whatever Sally said to her had pushed Alexis out of my life, and for some reason, that really bothered me. Something about this girl was different than everyone else in my life. I wanted to be noticed by her.

What was I thinking? What is going on in my head?

"She said that the only reason you talked to me was to try and become more popular. And that you've done this before with other girls. She called you a bottom feeder."

I was taken aback by this statement. I had know idea that Sally put that much thought into her distaste of me. Most people just say I am a loser and that's that.

"It wasn't right of me to take her words at first value. You're a pretty great guy, once you get past some of your oddities."

Even though it nearly pitch black, I could tell she was smiling.

I then did something that I had never done before.

"Hop on my back," I said to her.

"What? No way."

"We're not going to let Sally win this one."

I squatted in front of her twisting my arm so that the bindings would not get in the way.

"This is the only way that we can both finish."

Reluctantly, she placed her hand on my shoulders. I could feel her thighs tightened around my sides as she shimmied up my back.

"Alright, here we go."

I slowly stood up, doing my best to not fall over. She wrapped on of her arms around my neck while the bound one half-dangled on the side.

"Thank you Connor" she whispered in my ear.

My body was instantly filled with the strength of a thousand men. I tore through the forest. My pace was strong, my breathing in control. It was as if Alexis was the secret ingredient that made me, dare I say it, athletic. Like Chemical X or something.

The bonfire started coming into view. There was only one last obstacle. One of the catches to this intense game was that the losers returned to the camp to try to steal victory from the survivors of the opposing team. Apparently, our time in the woods lasted a lot longer than I first believed because the entire grade was waiting for us.

I knew I couldn't let them touch Alexis who had our flag as well as Sally's tied around her knees to stop the bleeding. If they got them, then this whole night would be meaningless.

"Look there they are!"

Some one had spotted us by the tree line. The hardest part was that it was incredibly difficult to tell who was on which team.

"Which team are they on?"

Hopefully, the confusion would by us time.

"It's Connor and Alexis." "Weren't they on team white?"

That didn't take them long.

I dashed to the far right side of the fire where there appeared to be less students. I could feel the mob to my side me start to close the gap. Our only advantage was that it was just as difficult for them to run at us tied together as it was for me to carry Alexis on my incredibly out-of-shape body. Then the worst case scenario happened.

Alexis began sliding off my back.

"Connor, I'm falling!"

"Just hang on," I yelled through short breaths.

My vision was blurring. My legs started to feel like lead. Apparently, even chemical X wore students were surrounding us. We were so close. The pole that symbolized the finish line was twenty feet from us.

"The flags are on her knees!"

The first group attacked from the sides, grabbing at her legs. I shook off the first few but Alexis was getting heavier. It wouldn't be long before they overtook us.

"Quick, form a perimeter around them!"

Next thing I knew, several, oddly organized pairs were surrounding us wearing green and white bands.

"Jake?" I stammered through short breaths.

"You got it Connor. I respect guys who go all out for their ladies."

"But, it…isn't…"

"You don't need to tell me. Now go win this one."

I was never a big fan of Jake, but maybe it was because he was Mr. Perfect and I was loser who wished he was him. What he was doing for me, albeit based on a misunderstanding, was giving me a chance to finally win.

I can't drop her now.

"Don't let them touch that pole!"

Sally was screaming at the top of her lungs. She and Jordan had just broke through the tree line with their poor partners trailing in the back. It must have been a call to arms. Next thing I knew, yellow and purple members were clawing at our legs.

Had to keep going.

Jordan was tearing across the open field and gaining fast.

Almost there.

She was breaking through our back line.

The finish line was in arms reach. I stretched out with my arm, forgetting that it was still bound to Alexis.

Next thing I knew, there was a sharp pain in my right arm, I can only assume that was from where Alexis fell on me. The weight imbalance caused me to fall face first in the dirt.

It was over.

Inches from the finish line, I had choked and ruined Alexis' life for the rest of high school.

The grass and rocks were nothing compared to the bitter taste that filling my mouth. I had failed again. This was the reason I never tried. Why did I even bother? I lay there with my eyes closed, preparing for the onslaught of laughter that was to follow.

But something was different.

The sounds I heard were not the usual jeering I was accustomed to. In fact, it sounded like cheering. I opened my eyes. Outstretched above me was Alexis; her chestnut hair caught the breeze above my face. I followed her extended arm where I saw three small fingers curled around the pole.

"Looks like team white wins!" was blared through one of the megaphones held by a teacher. Alexis looked down at me, face brimming with excitement.

"We did it."

The entire grade started cheering our names, while some helped untie us. Despite neither of us being in any condition to move for the next few days, some of the students lifted us up on their shoulders.

This is what being liked feels like. Everyone cheering our names. Finally, I had done something that made people want to be around me. But most importantly, it felt like I had won back the only person that I actually cared about.

The rest of the night, we had a full on bonfire party with dancing, music, and lots of food. Sally spent the majority of the night yelling at Jake for helping us. Although I was not used to the whole interacting thing just yet, it was still nice to talk and laugh with people who normally don't acknowledge me. Some point during the dinner, the entire grade had made Alexis and I the couple of honor.

"So are you two going out?"

Sharon Wells was our up and coming journalist.

"I, uh…Well, I mean…"

I could feel my face go bright red.

"Oooooohhhh! Somebody's got it bad for you, Alexis!"

"Haha, look how red he's getting!"

I could hear one of the guys shouting off to my left. The only made me more embarrassed. I had no idea why I was acting like this. A girl next to me the wasn't required to be there, 'friends', talking to people? This was uncharted territory for me.

"I think it's kinda cute."

"Go on, kiss her!"

I swear these idiots were getting out of hand. I could feel my palms get sweaty.

There's no way I would kiss her. Before I had time to protest, Alexis kissed me on the cheek.

The crowd roared.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Boating, Feelings, and other Misunderstandings**

After the first night, I was out of it. I spent the next two days just rubbing my face where she kissed me.

She kissed me.

I felt like one of those anime girls that overheat from embarrassment/excitement.

'What did this mean for us?' I thought to myself. 'Is there a chance for us? No. No, that can't be it. She was just playing the part.'

For some reason, that thought depressed me.

I continued to have these arguments with myself until they were interrupted by a booming voice behind me.

"Hey Connor, just the man I was looking for. You want to hang out on the lake?"

I turned to face the largest man I had ever seen. My face came up to the second tier of his rock solid abs. It was hard to imagine that he was only a sophomore.

"So you in? There'll be girls, food, music, all out on the lake. What do you say?"

His voice was so deep that it shook me to my core. Kramer Grey was the All-American at our school. He was built like an oak; large and immovable. His gorilla grip was on my shoulders as if threatening to rip my arms off was a good incentive to come with him.

"I don't think so…"

"Alexis will be there," he said tunefully.

That grabbed my attention almost as hard as Kramer was literally grabbing my weak frame.

"Alexis will be there?"

I had no idea why that line came out so nervously. Perhaps, it was because the behemoth behind me could break me while maintaining that enormous grin.

He let out a hearty laugh.

"She sure will."

"But why do you want me to come?"

"I will admit, I thought you were a loser. But after watching what you did last night, I feel that we got off on the wrong start."

More like we never even started.

"I want to start over with you. Hi, I am Kramer Grey, but you can call me Grey."

He stuck out his enormous hand. I didn't know much about Kramer but he didn't seem too bad of a guy. I guessed it couldn't hurt to try and become acquaintances.

So I decided to take the handshake of the super human in front of me; nearly losing a finger in the process might I add.

"I'm Connor Hartfeld. I guess I'm in."

Grey let out another hearty laugh.

"Alright! I'll see you at two o'clock at the docks."

"Two at the docks? Got it."

Grey slapped me on the back and jogged off towards the cabins. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but Alexis was going to be there. Couldn't be that bad. Alexis was my friend and now so was Grey.

My little bubble was changing fast.

—

The docks were located just behind the main lodge where we ate. You had to follow this dirt path a little ways before you could see the clearing for the lake. I was sitting in the main lodge going through my phone when I looked at the time.

1:55

I was going to be late.

I dashed outside the building. I had started on the dirt path when I was jumped from either side.

"RAWR!" the bandits screamed as they leaped onto me.

"Aaaarrggghh."

I landed square on my butt. My hans were throbbing from the force of the fall. I looked up at my would-be attackers, only to find that twins had decided to prank me. Both of them were giggling with delight while I winced at the pain in my legs as I tried to stand.

The twins were named Frankie and Frankie. They were nearly identical except for the fact that Frankie was a guy and Frankie was a girl. Guy Frankie is originally named Frank while Girl Frankie is Fransceca. Being nearly identical, they both had the same straight, strawberry-blonde hair with bright, blue eyes. They were about 5'8", so they weren't the tallest in the group but they both were captains of the track team. Although they acted like they were 8 years old, they were both in my grade, known throughout the school for their love of mischief.

"We got you so bad Connor,"

"Haha, yeah. You were all like 'aaagh, blah, ahhhhh.'"

"Come on guys. I don't have time for this. I'm meeting someone at 2."

"Oooooh, is it your girlfriend?"

An image of Alexis appeared in my head. I could feel my cheeks go bright red.

"No. It's not."

"Then who is it?"

"It's Grey, if you have to know."

"So you're coming too?" Frankie said with excitement.

These must have been the others Grey was talking about.

I looked at Girl Frankie's beaming face. It was one thing I always enjoyed about the twins. They were incredibly nice; even to the outcasts like me. The few times we spent time together at school, they were always happy to be with me. I would describe them as genuine; a title I don't give out to often. I grabbed the twin's outstretched arms as we ran the rest of the way to the docks.

—-

Grey was standing at the edge of the pier when we broke through the tree line. It was hard to miss a man of his size. He turned to face us as we approached the dock.

Frankie started yelling, "Grey! Hey Grey! We got Connor!"

"Haha, I can see that," he said through a short chuckle. "Glad you came Connor. I was beginning to thing that you wouldn't come."

"I'm sorry about that. I lost track of time."

"Well it's all good now. We just finished the preparations."

"We?"

A roar from an engine in the boat house draws all our attention. A boat nose peers through breaking the water before it. What followed was a sight to see. Alexis was standing at the wheel with a presence that stole your breath away. She was wearing khaki shorts with a green tank top. She wore large Ray-Bans while the wind flowed through her long, brown hair.

She flashed me a smile as she approached the pier.

My heart stopped.

Grey must have noticed my staring because he starts laughing as he ties the rope to the pier.

"All aboard."

Full disclosure.

I had never been on a boat. I don't have a family member or friend that has ever owned or had access to one before. I outstretched my right foot as I tentatively attempt to board. My foot touches the boat and the whole thing starts to lean. I pull my leg back immediately.

"I don't know about this."

"Its alright Connor. Take my hand."

Alexis leaned out of the boat so I could reach her. I locked eyes with hers for a second.

'Okay,' I thought to myself. 'I can do this.'

I wrapped my fingers around her slender arm as she began to pull towards her.

"Now step right here," as she pointed with her leg to a ledge.

I carefully place my leg on the inside of the boat. Now my body was between the dock and the boat.

Grey decided to help by half-throwing me into the boat.

"There you go!"

The force of his 'help' flew into the boat. In an attempt to keep my balance, I had grabbed onto the nearest thing to me, which in this case was Alexis. I dragged her down as I plopped onto the floor.

"Ow," she grumbled as she rubbed the top of her. She opened her eyes only to be staring right into my nose. Alexis fell right on top of me. Her face was 4 inches from mine.

"Are you alright?" Said as I turned away out of embarrassment.

She smiled, "I'm alright, thanks to you."

I couldn't believe that this just happened to me. I was so happy yet throughly uncomfortable about the whole situation. Grey was laughing so hard that I thought he might choke on something. The twins were also joining in as they leapt into the boat. Alexis got to her feet and walked towards the wheel.

"Let's get going!"

I sat in the chair at the front while the roaring of the engine pushed us out onto the lake. I was never big into water activities. In my younger days, swimming was one of the many activities I was not fond of. My parents used to force me to swim but as I got older, we took less trips to the water. I guess they figured I wasn't really worth the effort anymore. I never thought of them as poor parents; the problem lied with me.

My contemplations were interrupted by water spraying my face, as Alexis took a sharp turn to the left. The cold sensation stung my face.

"Wake up Connor"

I wiped the drops out of my eyes. Alexis was glowing. I couldn't be mad at that smile even if I wanted to.

"Alright Lex, this is a pretty good."

Lex? How well did Grey know Alexis?

Alexis cut the engine and walked to the bow of the boat.

"Why are we stopping?"

"You don't know?" Frankie asked.

I shook my head.

"Grey's got something he wants to talk to all of us about something."

"Yep. He's got big plans," Frank stated excitedly.

"You guys always get carried away don't you?"

Grey opened a cooler at the back and brought everyone an ice, cold Coke. He handed one to me. The cool liquid took the edge off the sun's rays.

Those commercials were pretty realistic.

"They're not wrong," Grey spoke as he opened his.

"I've been trying to get something going for quite a whiles now."

I nodded as a sign to continuing.

"I've been pushing for a field day, you know, like the ones we used to have in elementary?" The only problem is that to get school funding, we need support. Sally currently holds the school." Grey's hand began drawing a triangle in the air. "She's at the top followed closely by Jake."

Grey went on to explain the social hierarchy that I was well acquainted with.

"Sally will only allows this to happen if it becomes a Sally festival, celebrating her. The only way to prevent that is to get the majority vote. Before yesterday, we had no hope. Everyone was either to scared of Sally or too far gone on the Reyes Bandwagon. You two have changed things."

He points at me and Alexis.

"You have shown our grade that Sally can be beat. I need you as my spokespeople to promote the idea."

I was drawn back for a second. Someone was asking me, to not only engage in school, but to also motivate others.

There was no way I could do that.

"I know you don't think you can do it Connor. To be honest, I didn't really know you existed. I had assumed you were simply a loser."

He had a point.

"But last night you showed me, no everyone, that there's more to you then meets the eye. You've got potential. I'm asking you use that to get others behind this. I truly believe that this will be a great event, but only if we do it as a school."

His passion was obvious. Almost like a fire in his eyes.

"Will you help me? I can only do so much. A lot of students feel alienated by the athletes since we are in that sort of 'elitist' group. Alexis still hasn't joined a club and you are regarded as the school loner."

Grey paused.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine. I know what you meant."

Frankie chimed in, "It would really make a difference. If we take the majority out from under Sally, we can design a program that suits all, not just the elite."

Everyone fell silent. The waves gently slapped the side of the boat while I thought for a moment.

I inhaled deeply, "Alright, I'll do it."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"But only on one condition."

"What's that?"

"That Alexis is part of the committee that sets up the event."

Alexis gave me a quizzical look. I turned back to face Grey.

"She is the most compassionate and considerate person I have ever met. If there is anyone in the school that will create a festival that includes every person, clique, and whatever else, it's her. That's my condition to my help. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal."

Frank stood up. "Well, now that we've got that out of the way, let's go have fun!"

Frankie and Frankie both cannonballed off the bow into the now disturbed water.

"Can't say no to that," Grey chuckled as he followed suit.

I felt a brush against my hand. Alexis was smiling.

"You mean that?"

"Well…uh, yeah."

I was beyond embarrassed. The more she grinned, the more red I could feel my ears get.

"That's really sweet Connor."

I chuckled nervously, "It's nothing, really."

Next thing I knew, I was cold and soaking wet.

"HEY!"

The twins and Grey were continuing to splash water on me and Alexis.

"Cut it out love birds and get in the water."

Alexis giggled, "You heard the man."

Alexis left off the boat and dipped into the lake water below. Her hair trailed behind her as she sank below the surface, like a golden comet kissing the Earth's surface. She was a sight to behold. It was these moments that always held on to. I had built a relationship, a real relationship with another person.

As the sun sank beneath the tree tops, wind gathering up the leaves, I realized that something had changed.

I was happy. Even after everything that happened in the coming days, I never forgot that feeling.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The rest of the trip was more or less what you would expect. The counselors forced into multiple activities, such as three-legged races and sort, with seemingly no rhyme or reason.

That's what I would usually say.

Surprisingly, I actually had fun. There was, of course, the Midnight Flight and all that entailed. Later in the week, there was a massive food fight in the mess hall. Odd colored spaghetti, and lima beans were being pelted across the dining tables. Students were quick to grab cover.

It all started when Trisha Evens, Orville's Type-A diva, got bumped by Samantha Ackerby.

"Watch where you're going trash," Trish spat at Sam.

This comment did not sit well with our State's leading kickboxer. Within the blink of an eye, Sam, as she liked to be called, had high-kicked Trish's tray, dumping Fettuccine all over Trish's bleached hair and excessive make-up.

Trish let out a shrill that would put Banshees to shame.

Someone across the cafeteria seemed to notice the incident and yelled,

"FOOD FIGHT!"

Chaos ensued.

I was eating with Alex, Grey, and a few others I had come to know, when garlic bread flying at, what felt like 80 MPH, hits the back of my head. The impact caused me to spew out the Jell-O that I was consuming.

Orange, gelatin chunks pelted the unsuspecting Frankies sitting across from me.

"I am so sorry," I coughed, trying to catch my breath. " I really did not mean to get..."but before I had even a chance, the twins grabbed nearby mash potatoes and threw them right at my face.

Still wheezing, I grabbed Grey's tray from my right and ducked below the table. The warm mush narrowly missed my head as I took cover. The sloppy clods pelted some of the basketball team who did not take kindly to the sudden warmth.

I looked up to see Grey let out a hearty laugh until the soft side of a pork chop slapped the side of his face. The gravy acted as adhesive and sealed the meat to Grey.

The cafeteria grew more gruesome in the following moments. Sauce dripped down the faces of fallen students, the lunch ladies had all but abandoned their posts, not wishing to be involved with the sloppy, steam broccoli that was being hurled across tables.

Grey was going all out.

His powerful arms turned marshmallows into rocks. Canned corn, scrambled eggs, and jelly beans struck fear in the hearts of my peers. from under my table I could see those not brave enough to face Grey, shuddering under the tables. Tears streamed and their comrades continued to fall.

Soon only Grey was standing over the decimated cafeteria.

I boldly stood up, amidst the exploded food and groans of the fallen. Grey, still clutching cranberry sauce, gave the image of a bleeding heart in his grip. He turned to me and grinned broadly.

"Now that was fun."

I looked around at the mess that was the lunch room.

"Yeah, that was pretty fun."

Students began to crawl out of their safe zones, eager to get the food smells off of them. I unconsciously scanned the food battered crowd for Alexis.

'Where had she gone?'

"Connor!" a voice called out behind me over the crowd's growing talking.

Alexis ran from across the room, coke dried hair sticking to her ice cream streaked face. Despite her sticky self, she was beaming as she made her way towards me.

Only two thoughts came to mind.

'How had she ended up on the other side of the cafeteria?' and 'wow.'

The latter one was the prominent thought.

She threw her arms around me saying, "that was so much fun! Thank you, Connor."

'What did I do?'

That question was not answered because the faculty had finally arrived. After surveying the crowd, Jered, the teacher who was in charge of the trip, gritted his teeth. His necks veins bulged out of his thick neck. He was our school's unusually fit history teacher. His arms were larger than most of the student body.

His tight, forest green trip t-shirt quivered as he took in a large breath.

"WHO STARTED THIS!" he screamed, his deep voice shaking me to my core.

He turned to me, his eyes burning holes in mine.

'Why is he looking at me?'

I glanced to my sides to see that the entire class was pointing at me; Sally, grinning menacingly, was leading the charge.

"HARTFELD!" the muscle bound teacher yelled. "YOU WILL STAY HERE AND CLEAN EVERY LAST SPECK OF FOOD FROM THIS HALL. EVERYBODY ELSE WILL GET CLEANED UP AND CONTINUE WITH YOUR SCHEDULE!"


End file.
